New Zealand Defense Minister Ron Mark called for stronger and more meaningful security relationship at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Sunday.

According to a government release here, Mark addressed the dialogue on the topic "Ensuring a Resilient and Stable Region" and outlined New Zealand's perspective on defense and security matters, and the challenges facing the Pacific region including the security implications of the climate crisis.

"With pressure on the international rules-based order, the opportunity presented by the Shangri-La Dialogue to come together, consider global security challenges, understand individual motivations, forge genuine people-to-people links, and strengthen our contemporary security architecture is of increasing importance," Mark said.

While in Singapore, the minister also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia, China, Canada, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Britain and Vietnam, among others.

The 18th Shangri-La Dialogue opened in Singapore on Friday evening to discuss the security situation and the challenges in the Asia Pacific.